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Unit 16: Vocabulary and Usage: Idioms and Idiomatic Phrases and Their Usages

5. Elbow room Notes
(i) opportunity for freedom of action (ii) special room for the guest
(iii) to give enough space to move or work in
(iv) to add a new room to the house French leave
6. French leave
(i) a person who does not take leave (ii) leave without permission
(iii) to take long leave (iv) to take a day off and have fun
7. To call a spade a spade
(i) to play cards (ii) to be arrogant
(iii) to speak plainly without mincing matters (iv) to be confident about everything one does
8. To commit to memory
(i) to learn by heart (ii) to tax one’s memory
(iii) to be forgetful (iv) to commit oneself totally to a task
9. To burn a hole in the pocket
(i) to steal from someone’s pocket (ii) to destroy other’s belongings
(iii) to be very miserly (iv) money that is spent quickly
10. To bury the hatchet
(i) to have found a treasure (ii) to make peace
(iii) to purchase something without discretion (iv) to act in a suspicious manner
11. To beggar description
(i) something of least importance (ii) something beyond description
(iii) to describe a beggar (iv) an accurate description
12. To beat the air
(i) efforts that are vain, useless (ii) to be satisfied with one’s performance
(iii) to be extremely relieved (iv) to be very happy
13. To provide against a rainy day
(i) to provide plentiful (ii) to provide for the whole family
(iii) to store in case of any difficulty (iv) to store for the rainy season
14. A bone of contention
(i) area of agreement (ii) act of submission
(iii) act of gratitude (iv) subject of dispute
15. To be all eyes
(i) to be cautious (ii) watching closely and attentively
(iii) to be amazed (iv) to be non-plussed
16. Swollen headed
(i) to be suffering from illness (ii) to be conceited
(iii) to be narrow-minded (iv) to be dumb
17. To be like a fish out of water
(i) to be face to face with death (ii) to be in a strange situation
(iii) to be in want of a house (iv) to be determined to live
18. To stir up a hornet’s nest
(i) to excite the hostility of people (ii) to do some social service
(iii) to be totally at a loss in a situation (iv) to be bankrupt

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